1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of vehicle hood protectors used to protect the hood of vehicles from various objects that can fall on it after they are thrown against the vehicle by the impact of the wheels against the road such as rocks, pebbles, sand and other debris which may be on the road. While such hood protectors are customarily used with expensive sports cars which have fine paint finishes and are designed low to the ground, the field also relates to car hood protectors for any type of vehicle hood and primarily for cars and trucks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, vehicle hood protectors are known. The most common type which is currently in use is a plastic or vinyl type covering which is stretched over the hood of the vehicle and is retained in place by various attaching means. A major problem with this type of hood protector is that it is ugly and detracts from the appearance of the vehicle. This is a major drawback when the vehicle is a beautiful and expensive sports car. A second drawback is that in most designs, the protector must be removed when the hood is to be raised to get at the engine well for purposes of checking oil, the battery, etc. . A third and major disadvantage with prior art hood protectors is that it can be easily stolen.
Other vehicle hood protectors known in the prior art are described in the following issued patents:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,845 issued to Bratsberg on Jul. 3, 1979 for "Airstream Deflector For Motor Vehicles".
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,546 issued to Guccione on Mar. 15, 1983 "Vehicle Front End Shield".
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,483 issued to Lockshin on Nov. 11, 1980 for "Hinged Louvered Window Shade Device".
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,897 issued to Williams on Jan. 3, 1984 for "Window Ventilating Stop".
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,467 issued to Greco on Feb. 18, 1986 for "Locking System For Rolling Type Gate".
None of these Patents disclose the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,845 to Bratsberg discloses an air deflector shield which is placed in the front of the hood of a car and is used as an airstream deflector to deflect the air so that it does not hit the windshield full blast so that dust, bugs, rain or snowflakes are carried over the top of the vehicle instead of being deposited upon the windshield. However, this device does not serve the same purpose as the present invention in that it does not protect the hood itself from being damaged by various objects which can fall on it after they are thrown against the car by the impact of the wheels such as rocks and other debris which may be on the road. The method by which the device is attached to the front of the vehicle is also different from the attachment device of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,546 to Guccione discloses a vehicle front end shield which is similar in concept to the present invention of having a clear plastic shield which is of greater strength than merely the leather covering protecting the front of the vehicle. In particular, they also reference use of this shield with a Porsche. Specifically the unit is usually housed in two halves which can be mated together and is form fitted to the front of the vehicle hood. One major difference between the present invention and this Patent is that the attachment of the shield to the vehicle is accomplished by strap hooks 40 each of which is mounted on a double spring 42 so that between the two hooks each of which engages an opposite wheel well, four point restraint is exerted on the shield. Obviously, this sort of attachment lends itself to more easily removing the shield from the front of the vehicle and therefore lends itself to being more easily stolen. In addition, in the preferred embodiment the piece is in two halves and the two halves must be locked together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,483 to Lockshin basically involves a hinged louvered window shade and is relevant primarily because of the mounting means. The mounting means for the main body assembly is provided by a pair of top-side mounting plate assemblies designated as 16 and 18, and a pair of lower-side mounting assemblies designated as 20 and 22. Each of the mounting assemblies is illustrated in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7 and is comprised of a base plate 52 having a hinge 54 fixed at its outer face in a generally horizontal position. First hinge leaf 56 is fixed to plate 52 as by spot welding and a pivotal leaf 58 of hinge 54 is fixed by screws 60 to the top edge portion of the top louver 24.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,897 to Williams for Window Ventilating Stop is relevant principally because of the nature of the attaching mechanism as shown in particular in FIG. 5. There is a slot which attaches on to a keeper and is attached thereto through the use of bolts or screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,467 to Greco discloses a locking system which includes a sleeve member locked on to a flat member that goes within the sleeve member.
Therefore, there is a significant need for a vehicle hood protector which is aesthetic in appearance and is functional in that it protects the hood from being dented and damaged by objects and debris which may be thrown against it, and has a specialized attaching mechanism to prevent it from being easily stolen while at the same time permitting access to the engine compartment without the necessity of removing the hood.